Question

a quick side note: representations like the one above are called “models” because they are meant to capture essential parts of a structure or process. models are particularly helpful for things like atoms that are not observable to the naked eye.

ions
one additional factoid about the basics of atomic structure: every proton and electron has an electrical charge. each proton carries one positive charge and each electron carries one negative charge. neutrons are neutral, meaning that they do not carry a charge.
when an atom has an equal number of protons and electrons, the positive and negative charges balance and the atom is electrically neutral overall. if there are more protons than electrons, the atom will have a positive charge. conversely, if there more electrons than protons, the atom will have a negative charge. an atom that has an overall charge like this is called an ion.

in this course you will frequently be analyzing questions involving hydrogen ions. two observations:

1. hydrogen atoms normally consist of just one proton and one electron—no neutrons. but the hydrogen ion lacks an electron: it is a bare proton.
2. ions are written with their charge indicated as a superscript.

based on this information, how are hydrogen ions represented in writing?
○ h⁻
○ h
○ h⁺

Explanation:

The text states that ions are written with their charge indicated as a superscript. A hydrogen ion is a bare proton and has a positive charge. So it is written as $H^{+}$.

Answer:

C. $H^{+}$